I got my baby back :) (again!)

Okay, she hasn’t been gone long (as s a vaca con cuernos the gender thing is delightfully ambivalent). As I rode her to Meijer I was pondering that yes, actually, the Xtra could do almost everything this bike could do — but that I really *did* like having a truly “spare” but excellent vehicle to loan. And, sure enough, within four hours, my friend could walk back in the cold on the dark streets dodging crusts and puddles and cars because the whole plowage thing is a CAR CULTURE — YOU WALK YOU LOSE! message .. or get on the sweet Racer with enough lights for drivers to swing wide, ugly chariots for that mile or two with a significant tailwind.

Baiku:

Everyone deserves

Some paths forward, battle-free

Ride that tailwind home

So, I rode the Xtra Monday … and there was significant melting, but not nearly enough to get down to grass where there wasn’t a lot of wind. Home trip was definitely interesting because the roads were glistening. Was there enough meltage for cars to track the wet all over the road for it to freeze? I don’t know, but I took turns gingerly.

Coming down the hill on Crescent towards John I got trepidatious. I did *not* trust the intersection not to have plowage or frozen puddles. Here comes a perpendicular pickup… but the truck saw me and slowed as if the driver thought the intersection would have glare ice, a good 50 feet back, and removed all question about Who Got THere First And Should Proceed. Rather than engage in Midwestern Chicken (“No!! After YOU!!!”) I coasted on through with an appreciative wave.

At Neil and Hessel, the light did not acknowledge me. Oddly, it completely failed to acknowledge the car across the way, too. I’ve had cars stuck behind me not tripping the sensor, but never this — but I followed my usual inclination and we sat there for a while, ’cause I really like to have drivers share that experience of Waiting Forever. Then I got off the bike and walked over to hit the walk button, and went back… and wondered if I’d get a reaction — the driver looked at me rather as if I had two heads. Yes, the Xtracycle does that to people sometimes… but it was a little weird.Not even a grin at BEating the Stupid Machines into Submission..

I no longer have a working phone, though. It won’t hold a charge. Like the last one, and the one before that, and this one with the older battery. And with a new (or at least different) charger. And with attempts at several different outlets. I figure that it is the Cosmic Karmic powers and that I shall see if I can arrange to be declared Eligible for Upgrade early and graduate to a Smartphone which I would have done In The First Place (when the little red one stopped accepting the charge two weeks ago) except the Man said I wasn’t eligible for an upgrade ’til July. I’m not annoyed because this is too weird, tho’ I *am* wondering what on earth is up.